Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado has confirmed that she handed her Nobel medal to U.S. president Donald Trump, a move that swiftly prompted clarification from the Nobel establishment on the limits of such a gesture.
As reports spread that Machado was preparing to present the medal, the Nobel Peace Center issued a pointed reminder about the nature of the award, publishing a social media post detailing the medal’s 120-year history and unchanged design.
The post, accompanied by images of the gold medal bearing Alfred Nobel’s portrait and a reverse symbolising brotherhood, underscored that symbolism does not override long-standing rules.
The U.S. president claimed the move is a ‘wonderful gesture of mutual respect’
“The #NobelPeacePrize medal measures 6.6 cm in diameter, weighs 196 grams and is struck in gold,” the Nobel Peace Center wrote, adding that its design has remained unchanged for more than a century.
More significantly, the institution reiterated the legal and symbolic boundaries of the prize itself. Citing the Norwegian Nobel Committee, the post stressed: “Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time.”
While confirming that she gave the physical medal to Trump — who is now reported to be keeping it — Machado’s action does not confer any formal status. As the Nobel Peace Center put it, “A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot.”
The clarification served as a quiet but firm response from the Nobel establishment, reinforcing that while medals may pass from hand to hand, the honour — and its historical weight — remains indivisibly tied to the original recipient.
